Trustees' anger at Christchurch Town Council public consultation into future of Druitt Hall

CHRISTCHURCH Town Council is preparing to unveil options for the future of Druitt Hall, a popular building used by many groups in the area – including its demolition.

A six-week public consultation will be launched in October over the future of the facility which was gifted to the people of Christchurch by the Druitt family.

The move has sparked anger among some trustees, with suspicions the town council, as landlord, wants to replace the current building with a new one containing civic offices.

The council said it would wait for the outcome of the consultation before making any decisions.

Trustee Chris Guest claimed the council had offered a new 30-year lease on the building in June last year to the Druitt Hall Community Association, along with £40,000 to replace some of the windows.

But he said it had now gone back on that and would soon hold a public consultation into the future of the hall.

Mr Guest said: “I believe what the council ultimately want is to demolish this building and replace it with another, with offices for their use on top of it.

“There is at least 20 years’ life left in Druitt Hall; we work really hard to maintain it.

“Last year the council were ready to grant us the lease but now they have refused and done this. I think it is a total betrayal of the legacy the Druitt family left.

“The cost of a new building will run into millions and it will take years for a new hall to be built, leaving Christchurch without one.”

He added: “Over the years this council, and the ones before it, have had zero interest in the hall. Now I believe they want it for themselves.”

The consultation will ask the public if they want to see improvement work carried out on the hall, or for it to be demolished and replaced.

Mr Guest said: “They are trying to make out it is in a bad state of repair without even coming here to see it.

“The hall has been kept going by the community and local businesses. The hall is hired for 35 hours a week and is used by all sorts of groups including two WIs, an over-60s fitness class, a church group, a karate club, and on Fridays there is the extremely popular craft market.

“We have a footfall of 15,000 a year. Waitrose, B&Q, Wickes, and Crown Paints are just some of the local companies who have supported us. This feels like a total trashing of the community effort which has gone into Druitt Hall over the years.”

Former trustee Nigel Cook said he feared a new hall would no longer be run by the charitable trust currently in charge.

He said: “The charity has looked after this hall for decades. It is interesting that the council have come up with this consultation when they are looking for new offices and have also expressed a wish to have a chamber as well.

“The present hall is not some derelict old building that needs to be replaced. Only last year the trustees were awarded a Mayor’s Meritorious Award for ‘managing and providing the exceptional Druitt Hall as a key community asset and space in Christchurch’.”

A statement from the town council said: “The council has resolved to undertake a public consultation to ascertain what the residents of Christchurch would like to have happen to Druitt Hall.

“Only then, once the consultation responses have been gathered and reported on, will the council consider any action.”

It added: “Individual councillors do not speak on behalf of the council. Whilst some may have their own opinion, it is the council as a whole (and as the hall’s landlord) that, having received the consultation response, will make any decisions necessary for the hall’s future.”